The first American in space - May 05, 1961 - HISTORY.com This Day in History: 05/05/1961 - The first American in space In This Day in History video clip - May 5, 1961: The first American in space - Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Lead Story The first American in space Share this: The first American in space Author The first American in space URL Publisher A+E Networks From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

NASA was established in 1958 to keep U.S. space efforts abreast of recent Soviet achievements, such as the launching of the world’s first artificial satellite–Sputnik 1–in 1957. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the two superpowers raced to become the first country to put a man in space and return him to Earth. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet space program won the race when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched into space, put in orbit around the planet, and safely returned to Earth. One month later, Shepard’s suborbital flight restored faith in the U.S. space program. NASA continued to trail the Soviets closely until the late 1960s and the successes of the Apollo lunar program. In July 1969, the Americans took a giant leap forward with Apollo 11, a three-stage spacecraft that took U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon and returned them to Earth.

On February 5, 1971, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. Related Videos May 5, 1961: First American in Space Video - ABC News ABC News Project Mercury: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel in space. 3:00 | 05/04/11 Coming up in the next {{countdown}} {{countdownlbl}} Coming up next: More information on this video Enhanced full screen Transcript for May 5, 1961: First American in Space This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. Now Playing: 9/14/82: Grace Kelly Dies Now Playing: 9/13/93: PLO-Israeli Peace Agreement Now Playing: 9/15/01: Pres.

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Ten years later, Shepard would leave Earth's atmosphere again to become the fifth man to walk on the moon — and the first one to play golf there. Born Nov. 18, 1923, to Renza Emerson and Alan Shepard, Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr . grew up in rural New Hampshire. After graduating from high school, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating the day after D-Day. An ensign, Shepard spent the last year of World War II on a destroyer in the Pacific. NASA astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961 aboard his Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7. Credit: NASA. Over the next 15 years, Shepard served in the Navy in various capacities. He received a civilian pilot's license while in naval flight training, and spent several tours on aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean. He attended the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in 1950, and then went on to participate in a number of developmental tests for various crafts, as well as trials of the first angled carrier deck. He then became an instructor in the Test Pilot School.

He logged more than 8,000 hours of flight time over the course of his career. [ Photos: Freedom 7, America's 1st Human Spaceflight ] Shepard attended the Naval War College in Rhode Island. Following his 1957 graduation, he was assigned as an aircraft readiness officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet. Upon his return home at the close of World War II, Shepard married Louise Brewer, whom he had met while attending the Naval Academy. The couple had two daughters. The right stuff In 1959, 110 test pilots were invited to volunteer for the space flight program headed by the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Although Shepard was on the list, a snafu kept him from receiving his invitation. Regardless, he was selected as one of the first seven astronauts for the organization. Known as the Mercury 7, the group included John Glenn , Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Donald "Deke" Slayton, Malcolm "Scott" Carpenter, Walter "Wally" Schirra, and Gordon Cooper.

From this prestigious group of highly trained fliers, Shepard was selected to man the first space flight , with Glenn acting as his backup. Astronaut Alan B. Shepard is rescued by a U.S. Marine helicopter at the end of his sub-orbital Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) flight May 5, 1961. Credit: NASA The stakes were raised in the space race on April 15, 1961, when the Soviet Union launched cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space and he became the first person to orbit the Earth. Gagarin beat the Americans by less than a month. Shepard's launch was initially scheduled for May 2, but was rescheduled twice because of weather conditions. On May 5, Freedom 7 lifted off, carrying Shepard to an altitude of 116 miles for a 15-minute flight. Because of the placement of the porthole windows, the first American in space was unable to catch a glimpse of the stars, and he was strapped in too tight to experience weightlessness. Also, a filter left on the periscope window rendered the Earth below in black and white.

Although the Soviets had reached the historic milestone first, Shepard's suborbital flight made a significant worldwide impact because its launch, travel and splashdown were watched on live television by millions of people. By contrast, the details of Gagarin's landing were kept confidential for more than a decade. For his daring achievement, President John F. Kennedy awarded Shepard the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. [ Infographic: America's First Spaceship: Project Mercury ] Shepard worked on the ground for subsequent flights in the Mercury program and was slated to pilot the Mercury 10 mission. However, after successfully putting an astronaut in orbit for a full day with Mercury 9, NASA decided to close the first manned space program and move on with Gemini, the next step on the journey toward the moon . NASA selected Shepard to be part of the first manned Gemini mission. However, he woke one morning dizzy and nauseated, and found himself falling constantly. He was subsequently diagnosed with Meniere's syndrome. Fluid in his inner ear had built up, increasing the sensitivity of the semicircular canals and motion detectors. Shepard was grounded in 1963, forbidden from solo flights in jet planes — or traveling in space.

Shepard switched gears, taking over as the Chief of the Astronaut Office for NASA. He oversaw the activities and schedules of the astronauts and their training and assisted with mission planning. In 1969, he underwent an operation that corrected the problem, allowing him to regain full flight status. Shepard, Stuart Roosa and Ed Mitchell were initially supposed to fly on Apollo 13 , but they were pushed back a mission to give everyone extra training, especially Shepard. Shepard was subsequently named commander for the Apollo 14 mission to the moon. Alan Shepard - First American in Space May 5, 1961 | AL.com Share Alan Shepard On May 5, 1961 Huntsville, Alabama celebrated the successful sub-orbital spaceflight of astronaut Alan Shepard - America's first man in space. After an 8:34am Huntsville Time launch, Dr. Wernher von Braun returned to Huntsville for a 5:00pm celebration on the downtown courthouse square.

NASA Alan Shepard The original Mercury 7 astronauts, pictured from left Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton, stand in front of a U.S. Air Force F-106 fighter during one of their first photo sessions.(NASA photo) NASA Alan Shepard Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency's (ABMA) Development Operations Division, poses with the original Mercury astronauts in ABMA's Fabrication Laboratory during a 1959 visit. Inspecting Mercury-Redstone hardware are from left to right, Alan Shepard, Donald Deke Slayton, Virgil Gus Grissom, von Braun, Gordon Cooper, Wally Schirra, John Glenn, and Scott Carpenter. (Marshall Space Flight Center photo). NASA Alan Shepard On April 9, 1959, NASA introduced the country to its first astronauts. They were, front row, left to right: Walter H. Schirra, Jr., Donald K. Slayton, John H. Glenn, Jr., and M. Scott Carpenter. Back row: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Virgil I.

'Gus' Grissom, and L. Gordon Cooper. GIULIO MARCOCCHI Astronaut Alan Shepard in his space suit. (NASA Photo) NASA Alan Shepard In this May 5, 1961 image released by NASA, U.S. astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., is seen in his space suit prior to launch on the spacecraft Freedom 7 at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (NASA Photo) AP/NASA Alana Shepard in his Freedom 7 spacecraft before launch. (NASA Photo) NASA Alan Shepard In this May 5, 1961 image released by NASA, the Freedom 7 manned by U.S. astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., is seen during liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla.(AP Photo/NASA) AP/NASA Alan Shepard Astronaut Alan Shepard leaves his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule by helicopter after his May 5, 1961 flight. (NASA Photo) NASA May 5, 1961 Huntsville TImes headline.

Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com Astronaut Day celebration notice in the May 5, 1961 Huntsville Times. Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com Alan Shepard Dr. Werher Von Braun addresses a crowd celebrating in front of the Madison Co. Al. Courthouse following the successful launch of astronaut Alan Shepard America's first astronaut In space. May 5, 1961 NASA Alan Shepard "Our opponents across the ocean behind the Iron Curtain thought about a month ago they had slammed the door to the universe in our face, but Shepard has led us out of our dilemma and embarrassment" Dr. Wernher von Braun said. Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com Alan Shepard "We will go further and further, eventually landing on the moon and other planets," America's foremost space expert said. The people of Huntsville will share in those achievements." - Wernher von Braun Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com Huntsville TImes editorial May 7, 1961. Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com Chrysler Corporation ad in the May 7, 1961 Huntsville TImes congratulating NASA.

Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com Alan Shepard featured on cover of May 12,1961 Time Magazine. Alan Shepard After being diagnosed with Meniere syndrome, Shepard was grounded. He continued with NASA and became Chief of the Astronaut Office, responsible for monitoring the coordination, scheduling and control over all astronaut activities. He also assisted in overall mission planning and selecting experiments. (NASA Photo) NASA Alan Shepard In 1969, Shepard had an operation on his ear and on May 7, 1969 he was restored to full flight status. He was named commander of the crew of Apollo 14. (NASA Photo) NASA Alan Shepard The prime crew of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. From left to right they are: Command Module pilot, Stuart A. Roosa, Commander, Alan B. Shepard Jr. and Lunar Module pilot Edgar D. Mitchell. The Apollo 14 mission emblem is in the background. (NASA Photo) NASA Alan Shepard Near the end of the second lunar extravehicular activity (EVA) and just before entering the lunar module for the last time, Shepard--an avid golfer--hit two golfballs with a makeshift club.

The first landed in a nearby crater. The second was hit squarely, and in the one-sixth gravity of the Moon, Shepard said it traveled "miles and miles and miles." (NASA Photo) NASA Alan Shepard While visiting the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in 1989, former astronaut Alan Shepard reenacted hitting a golf ball on the simulated lunar surface. While commander of Apollo 14 , Shepard hit two golf balls on the moon. (Bob Gathany photo.) Bob Gathany Alan Shepard Alan Shepard supported and visited the U.S. Space & Rocket Center many times. In 1987 he assisted with the ribbon cutting on the Pathfinder shuttle display. (Michael Mercier/The Huntsville TImes) Michael Mercier/The Huntsville Times Alan Shepard Astronaut Alan Shpard speaks to Space Campers at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center July 1992. (Bob Gathany photo) Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com Alan Shepard Alan Shepard visits with Space Campers at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center celebrating the 30th anniversary of his space flight May 8, 1991.

(Glenn Baeske/The Huntsville Times) Glenn Baeske/The Huntsville Times Alan Shepard Alan Shepard gives interview to news media on simulated moon crater at U.S. Space & Rocket Center July 17, 1989. (Dave Dieter/The Huntsville TImes) Dave Dieter/The Huntsville Times Alan Shepard Alan Shepard (left) and Ed Buckbee at the 20th anniversary celebration of the man walking on the moon. (Bob Gathany Photo) Bob Gathany Astronauts Ally Schirra (left) and Alan Shepard (right) with Intergraph chairman Jim Medlock. (Huntsville Times) The Huntsville Times U.S. postal stamp honoring Alan Shepard as the first American in space 2011. Alan Shepard This American sycamore tree at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens is one of the seeds that 40 years ago flew on the Apollo 14 space mission. Astronaut Stuart Roosa carried 400-500 seeds in his personal kit while he orbited the moon as Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the lunar surface. There are three of the "Moon Trees" remaining in Alabama.

The tree is located on the right just off the main walkway as you enter the gardens to the left of the formal rose garden. (Birmingham News Photo / Jeff Roberts Jeff Robert/The Birmingham News Alan Shepard Section of Interstate 565 in front of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is named for Alan Shepard. (Bob Gathany/bgathany@AL.com) Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com May 5, 1961: Shepard Becomes 1st American in Space - SpaceNews.com May 5, 1961: Shepard Becomes 1st American in Space With 45 million people in the United States watching on TV , Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he launched aboard the On May 5, 1961, a Redstone rocket lofted the U.S. astronaut and Freedom 7 187 kilometers above the Earth’s surface . After a 15.5 -minute flight – about 5 minutes of which Shepard spent weightless – the Mercury capsule splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean, just 483 kilometers from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Fla .

Project Mercury mobilized quickly – the manned capsule was contracted to be built in January 1959 – but not quickly enough to beat the Soviet manned program. Just 23 days prior to Shepard’s spaceflight, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. Shepard’s flight was the second step toward recovering the nation’s technological prestige – �the first was the successful launch of the U.S. Explorer 1 satellite in response to the Soviet Sputnik, said Howard McCurdy, chair of American University School of Public Affairs here . It was not as glamorous for Shepard and his fellow astronauts as it often is portrayed, the space historian said in an April 26 phone interview. “I think they were presented much like rock stars,” McCurdy said, adding that a t the same time they “were human test subjects. “ Still, Shepard was anxious to fly into space.According to NASA’s Web site, a month before the launch, Shepard pressedtechnicians�who were discussing how to fix a mechanical malfunction that delayed the launch countdown:“Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?” Like the other Mercury Seven astronauts, Shepard, a 37-year-old Navy had been a military test pilot.

“When they were test pilots they were testing machines and when they were astronauts they were testing themselves,” McCurdy said. However, there were noteworthy differences between John Glenn’s February 1962 orbital spaceflight and �Shepard’s suborbital ride , McCurdy said. Glenn had to take control of the otherwise computer-controlled Mercury when one of the attitude control jets malfunctioned and performed an unorthodox landing when the heat shield did not appear to be fastened properly. With the first manned Mercury flight, Shepard’s purpose was to test the stresses of microgravity on the human body, he said. Previous Mercury flights with primates and Gagarin’s successful launch and recovery proved that spaceflight was not necessarily fatal. But if going into space might cause incapacitating disorientation, McCurdy said. Although Shepard switched to manual control from time to time to make attitude adjustments, he was more a passenger than a pilot, McCurdy said. “The rocket had worked perfectly, all I had to do was survive the re-entry forces,” Shepard said in a Feb. 1, 1991, interview, posted on the Academy of Achievement Web site.

In fact, the only in-flight malfunction was the failure of a sensor to signal that the retro-rocket pack had been jettisoned, the NASA History Web site said. After the flight Shepard checked out fine, as did his Mercury capsule. Engineers examining the recovered capsule said it was in good enough condition that the disposable spacecraft could be launched again, the NASA History Web site said. Shepard’s flight and successful �return home . Watching with special interest was U.S. President John F. Kennedy, McCurdy said. Shepard’s successful launch and recovery gave Kennedy the confidence to announce his plans for a manned Moon landing three weeks later, McCurdy said. Nearly a decade later, Shepard had the opportunity to be much more than just a test subject when he served as �Apollo 14 mission in early 1971 . But Shepard almost did not get the chance to return to space. In late 1963, �NASA pulled him when a problem with his �inner ear �sometimes made him disorientated, dizzy and nauseous, the NASA History Web site said. Shepard underwent a risky, yet successful, surgery to correct the problem in early 1969, the Web site said.

died of leukemia July 22, 1998, in Monterey, Calif., at the age of 74 . On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard Went to Outer Space and Came Home | At the Smithsonian | Smithsonian On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard Went to Outer Space and Came Home Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first American in space Astronaut Alan Shepard in his pressure suit, for the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) flight, the first American manned space flight. On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 mission and became the second person, and the first American, to travel into space. (Photo: © Pete Vazquez/SuperStock/Corbis) smithsonian.com May 5, 2011 Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first American in space. At 9:37 AM on May 5, 1961, the Freedom 7 spacecraft, now a Smithsonian artifact, was launched from Cape Canaveral, lobbing Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard Jr.

(1923-1998) to an altitude of 116.5 miles. Shepard tested out the spacecraft's attitude control systems during the five minutes of weightlessness he had at the top of the trajectory, then he parachuted safety into the Atlantic Ocean, 303 miles downrange. "The whole thing lasted 15 minutes and 28 seconds," says Michael Neufeld, curator in the Space History Division of the Air and Space Museum. "It was a short trip, but it gave a lot of confidence that the Mercury spacecraft was becoming ready to carry out the orbital mission ." The primary purpose of this mission was to put an American in space, but the Mercury Redstone suborbital flights, of which Freedom was one, were also intended to test the spacecraft's Mercury capsule and booster to make sure that the capsule would be ready for orbital flight. Another objective was to prove that astronauts were ready to fly in space, allaying concerns about their medical well-being. With the success of Shepard's flight, he became the second man in space, after the Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin, who completed an orbit of the Earth less than a month earlier on April 12, 1961.

Shepard, by comparison, was launched on suborbital hop. "It wasn't as impressive as the Soviet accomplishment, clearly," says Neufeld, "on the other hand, the fact that the U.S. did the whole thing in full view of the press and the world—as opposed to Soviet secrecy— made a positive impression on a lot of people domestically and internationally." Especially since the success of the mission was not guaranteed at that point. Alan Shepard was born in East Derry, New Hampshire on November 18, 1923. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1944, Shepard served on a destroyer in WWII. After the war, Shepard went to flight school and received his wings in 1947. Afterwards, Shepard trained as a Navy test pilot and would work in that capacity throughout the 1950s until his selection as a Mercury astronaut in 1959. Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program in the U.S.

Out of the seven astronauts chosen for the program, Alan Shepard, Jr., John Glenn, Jr., and Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom, were selected as the first three to fly and concentrate on the Mercury Redstone mission. Of those three, Shepard was chosen to launch the Freedom 7. "Shepard, I think was fundamentally chosen because he just came out as the best of the seven, as far as leadership of the program was concerned, the sharpest, the best trained of them," says Neufeld. Mercury had two boosters (used to lift the spacecraft) and two mission profiles, one of which was to conduct these early flights. The Freedom 7 was launched in a smaller Redstone rocket and could be classified as just a suborbital hop, in preparation for the Mercury mission to put a man in orbit, which Glenn would do in February of 1962. But with its success, Shepard became the first American in space. After the Mercury Program was ended to make way for Gemini, Shepard was grounded for an inner ear condition called Ménière’s disease.

After corrective surgery, Shepard was put back on flight status and became commander of Apollo 14, which successfully landed on the Fra Mauro highlands section of the Moon in February 1971. He would be the only astronaut from the Mercury program to land on the Moon. The purpose of the mission was to collect lunar samples from this volcanic area on the moon in an effort to help scientists understand the history of the moon and the solar system. But what most people remember is Shepard hitting a couple of golf balls at the end of his second Moonwalk. "The golf was kind of a joke at the end, but that's the only thing anyone wants to remember about Apollo 14," Neufeld says. Alan Shepard died in 1998. Yesterday, the U.S. Postal Service dedicated a stamp to the astronaut and the anniversary of the Freedom 7. See the Freedom 7 capsule , on display in the Visitor's Center at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. For other human spacecrafts, visit the collections on display at the Air and Space Museum on the National Mall and at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Like this article?

This date in science: First American in space | Science Wire | EarthSky This date in science: First American in space By Deborah Byrd in Science Wire | Space | May 5, 2016 Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961. His suborbital flight took place just three weeks after the Soviet Union’s Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth once. Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., in his silver pressure suit with the helmet visor closed, prepares for his historic flight into space. Date of photo: April 20, 1961. Image via NASA Alan Shepard in his flight suit May 5, 1961. Just 23 days after Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union became the first person in space, NASA launched astronaut Alan Shepard aboard the Freedom 7 capsule powered by a Redstone booster to become the first American in space. His historic flight began from Cape Canaveral in Florida lasted 15 minutes, 28 seconds, before a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.

During the rocket’s acceleration, Shepard experienced 6.3 g, or 6.3 times his normal weight, just before shut down of the Redstone engine, two minutes and 22 seconds after liftoff. Soon after, America’s first space traveler got his first view of the Earth and became one of the first astronauts to say: What a beautiful view. His spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic, 302 miles (486 km) from Cape Canaveral, where he and Freedom 7 were recovered by helicopter and transported to the awaiting aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain. After his flight, the astronaut said humorously: It’s a very sobering feeling to be up in space and realize that one’s safety factor was determined by the lowest bidder on a government contract. The first American to orbit Earth was John Glenn, aboard Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962. Alan Shepard was one of 110 test flight pilots who had volunteered for NASA’s manned space flight program – Project Mercury – in 1959. NASA selected him and six other pilots to be part of the project. All of the pilots went through a rigorous training regimen before NASA made a final selection.

Of these magnificent seven, America’s first astronauts, NASA chose Shepard to become the first American to travel into space. Early NASA film showing the type of training undergone by the early astronauts Trajectory of Alan Shepard’s flight aboard Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961. Image via NASA. NASA launched Alan Shepard into space against a backdrop of the Cold War. The Soviet Union had launched Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, aboard a spacecraft named Vostok (Russian for East). Gagarin completed a single orbit of the Earth, landing after a flight of one hour and 29 minutes. He became a hero in the Soviet Union and around the world. Three weeks later, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard flew aboard a Mercury spacecraft he named Freedom 7. Kurt Debus, who was NASA’s Launch Operations director at the time and who would go on to serve as the first director of the Kennedy Space Center, said years later : We knew we were in a competitive situation. But, we never permitted the pressure to make us take risks that might endanger Shepard’s life or the success of the mission. Just weeks after Shepard’s flight, the Space Race began to heat up.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a stirring speech before a joint session of Congress, in which he declared his intention to focus U.S. efforts on landing humans on the moon within a decade. Among other things, he said: I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth. The first human footsteps on the moon took place on July 20, 1969. Read more from NASA: Shepard’s Mercury flight Was first step on the long journey to Mars By the way, the private spaceflight company Blue Origin has a reusable launch system – a vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing rocket now being developed for suborbital space tourism – named for Alan Shepard . The New Shepard launch vehicle is a tribute to the fact that he ascended to space on a suborbital trajectory similar to that planned by Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon.com founder and businessman Jeff Bezos. April 2, 2016, launch of the reusable New Shepard rocket – named for Alan Shepard. Image via Blue Origin.

Bottom line: Alan Shepard’s historic first American flight into space aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft took place on May 5, 1961. May 05, 1961 : The first American in space Introduction From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA was established in 1958 to keep U.S. space efforts abreast of recent Soviet achievements, such as the launching of the world’s first artificial satellite–Sputnik 1–in 1957. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the two superpowers raced to become the first country to put a man in space and return him to Earth.

On April 12, 1961, the Soviet space program won the race when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched into space, put in orbit around the planet, and safely returned to Earth. One month later, Shepard’s suborbital flight restored faith in the U.S. space program. NASA continued to trail the Soviets closely until the late 1960s and the successes of the Apollo lunar program. In July 1969, the Americans took a giant leap forward with Apollo 11, a three-stage spacecraft that took U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon and returned them to Earth. On February 5, 1971, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.

Article Details: May 05, 1961 : The first American in space Author May 05, 1961 : The first American in space URL Alan Shepard, First American in Space, ABC news coverage, May 5, 1961 - YouTube Alan Shepard, First American in Space, ABC news coverage, May 5, 1961 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Oct 25, 2011 Alan B.Shepard T+ 00:00:00 Liftoff Mercury-Redstone lifts off, onboard clock starts. T+ 00:00:16 Pitch Program Redstone pitches over 2 deg/s from 90 deg to 45 deg. T+ 00:00:40 End Pitch Program Redstone reaches 45 deg pitch.

T+ 00:01:24 Max Q Maximum dynamic pressure ~575 lbf/ft² (28 kPa). T+ 00:02:20 BECO Redstone engine shutdown - Booster Engine Cutoff. Velocity 5,200 mph (2.3 km/s) T+ 00:02:22 Tower Jettison Escape Tower Jettison, no longer needed. T+ 00:02:24 Spacecraft Separation Posigrade rockets fire for 1 s giving 15 ft/s (4.6 m/s) separation. T+ 00:02:35 Turnaround Maneuver Spacecraft (ASCS) system rotates spacecraft 180 degrees, to heat shield forward attitude. Nose is pitched down 34 degrees to retro fire position. T+ 00:05:00 Apogee Apogee of about 115 miles (185 km) reached at 150 miles (240 km) downrange from launch site.

T+ 00:05:15 Retrofire Three retro rockets fire for 10 seconds each. They are started at 5 second intervals, firing overlaps. Delta v of 550 ft/s (170 m/s) is taken off forward velocity. T+ 00:05:45 Retract Periscope Periscope is automatically retracted in preparation for reentry. T+ 00:06:15 Retro Pack Jettison One minute after retrofire retro pack is jettisoned, leaving heat shield clear. T+ 00:06:20 Retro Attitude Maneuver (ASCS) orients spacecraft in 34 degrees nose down pitch, 0 degrees roll, 0 degrees yaw. T+ 00:07:15 0.05 g (0.5 m/s²) Maneuver (ASCS) detects beginning of reentry and rolls spacecraft at 10 deg/s to stabilize spacecraft during reentry.

T+ 00:09:38 Drogue Parachute Deploy Drogue parachute deployed at 22,000 ft (6.7 km) slowing descent to 365 ft/s (111 m/s) and stabilizing spacecraft. T+ 00:09:45 Snorkel Deploy Fresh air snorkel deploys at 20,000 ft (6.1 km). (ECS) switches to emergency oxygen rate to cool cabin. T+ 00:10:15 Main Parachute Deploy Main parachute deploys at 10,000 ft (3.0 km). Descent rate slows to 30 ft/s (9.1 m/s) T+ 00:10:20 Landing Bag Deploy Landing bag deploys, dropping heat shield down 4 ft (1.2 m). T+ 00:10:20 Fuel Dump Remaining hydrogen peroxide fuel automatically dumped. T+ 00:15:30 Splashdown Spacecraft lands in water about 300 mi (480 km) downrange from launch site.

T+ 00:15:30 Rescue Aids Deploy Rescue aid package deployed. The package includes green dye marker, recovery radio beacon and whip antenna. INFO: WIKIPEDIA

Question: In May 1961 who was the first American in space?
Answer: Alan Shepard